Rail-joint



J. KATCHER.

RAIL JOINT. APPLICATION FILED MAfLZh I921. 1,382,51 1 at nted une 1921.3 QHEETS- T 1.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY ,1. KATCHER. RAIL 101m. APPLICATION FILED MAR.21.1921.

Patented June 21, 1921.

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INVENTOR ATTORNEY WITNESS:

J. KATCHER.

RAIL JOlNT.

PPPPP cmou FILED mmzp. 1921. I 1,3825 1 1 Patented June 21, 1921.

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UNITED STATES JOSEPH KATCHER, OF MADEIRA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

' Specification of Letters Patent. Patent d Ju 21 1921 Application filedMarch 21,1921. Serial No. 454,140.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH KATOHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Madera, in the county of Clearfield and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints,of which the following is aspecification.

'My present invention has reference to an improved means for connectingthe confronting ends of railway rails.

A primary object is to produce a rail oint in which the rails areconnected in a manner to hold the same against lateral, tilting orvertical movement and to permit only such longitudinal movement asrequired in the expansion and contraction of the rails,- without theemployment of bolts and nuts or similar devices that are liable todisassocia tion by the pounding of the rolling stockon the rails.

Another important object is to produce a rail joint that will establishan electric bond,

and wherein the means holding the rails con nected may bearrangedthereon after the rails have been brought into confrontingengagement,and likewise removed therefrom without necessitating themovement of therails away from each other.

. bolt openings in the webs of therails, said plates having their outerfaces provided with longitudinal wedge ribs, While arranged on thebottom of the rails and having its base in contacting engagement withthe con fronting ends of the rails, is a yoke, the arms of the yokehaving hooks one of which being designed to overlie and. contact withthe rib on one of the, plates, the other hook being engaged by a wedgekeyreceived in a suitable depression in the second plate, the saidwedge'key overlying and in contacting engagement with the rib on thesaid second plate, while means is provided for locking the: wedge keyand yoke associated to hold the latter against movement in anydirection.v

The foregoing, and other objects which will appear as the nature of theinvention is better understood, may be accomplished by aconstruction,combination and operative association of parts, such as isdisclosed by the drawings which accompany'and which form part of thisapplication. I 1

In the drawings 2- Figure 1 is a side elevation of two rails connectedin accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view but looking toward the opposite side of therails.

Fig. 3 is a top plan View.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 1. v

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

. Fig. 6 is a similar sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view approximately on the line 77 of Fig. 4, butshowing the yoke moved off of the ribs of the fish plates and the mannerin which the same may be canted on the rail to arrange the yoke forengage- 'ment with the fish plates, or topermit of the removal of thesaid yoke.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view looking toward the outer face of one of thefish plates.

Fig. 9 is a similar view looking toward the inner face of one of thefish plates.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view looking toward the outer face of thesecond fish plate.

Fig. 11 is a similar view looking toward the inner'face of the saidfishplate.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the wedge ke V a I lieferring now tothe drawings in detail, the numeral 1 designates the confronting ends oftwo railway rails. The rails have their webs. provided with the usualbolt openings.

My improved joint contemplates the provision of two fish plates whichare indicated by the numerals2 and 3 respectively. Each fish plate hasits inner face provided with projecting lugs 4 and round openingsproviding pockets 5 between the lugs. The lugs 4 of the fish platesaredesigned to be passed through the bolt openings in the webs of therails, and the lugs on one of the fish platesv are designed to'bereceived in the openings or pockets 5 of the adjacent fish plates. Thebolt openings in the rails are elongated to permit of the properexpansion and contraction of the rails without influencing the jointprovided 'by the fish'plates. Two of the lugs, on the fish plate 2 aresurrounded by copper sleeves 6, and embedded in a suitterfered with by-spective rails 1.

gagement thereof withthe webs of there-' Thus an electric bond isestablished between the rails Which is not inthe expansion andcontraction ofthe rails. 3 Both fish plates have their body portions ofa thickness approximately equaling the distance between the sides of theheads of the rails and the webs thereof. The fish plates have on theirouter straight faces, at

the center thereof, longitudinally extending ribs 8 and 9 respectively.These ribs project outwardly from the lower angle edges of thefis'hplates. The-outer face of each of ther-lbs 41s arranged at an upwardincliuation, as indicated by )the numeral 10,

and each. ribis-wedge shaped. that is the same is gradually decreasedinthickness ,from one to its opposite end. "The upper or top surface ofeach of the ribs 8 and 9 is flat,-as at 11', and the outer face of thefish plate 2, inv a line with the said upper surface .11 of the riblOthereon is provided with a longitudinal'groove' 12. The inner wall ofthis groove 1s1ncl1ned,'as at 13, and

the said groove is gradually decreased in depth from one end thereof tothe other end, the inclination being arranged opposite to the inclinedor beveled outer surface of the ribs, 1

The numeral 14 designates a yoke member. The yoke has its" base 15provided with a flat upper surface 16, and the arms 17- and 18Iof'theyoke have their inner surfaces arranged at an upward inclinatiom'as at19 respectively and are beveled from one of their sides. to theiropposite sides, to conform to the beveled or-wedge surfaces .9 and 10 ofthe ribsS on the respective fish plates with which the arms of theyokefengage. Each arm, 1.7 and 18 has at its upper portion aninwardlydirected projection providin a jaw.

The j aw, on the arm 17 is indicated by the numeral 20, and that on thearm 18 by'the numeral 21. The jaw 21 I is formed by cutting'theinnerface of the arm v18-at an outward inclination, as indicated by thenumeral 22, pr0viding the said arm witha flat shoulder 23 below the jaw21.

'Asdisclosed in Fig.1 of the drawings the yoke is of a-size andconstruction to permit of the .same being canted and arranged on thebase of therail outward of the fis'h plates,

so thatthe fish plates may be properly posi tioned on-the rail endsbefore 'theyoke'is "moved therecver. The yoke, when arranged onvthe fishplates will have the inclined and i V 'beveled'i-nner surfaces'19'oftheir arms 17 and 18 contacting with the'beveled-surfaces of the ribs ofthe respective fish plates, and when in proper position, the straightupper surface 16 .of the base w of the yokewill; be disposed centrallyof the meeting ends of the rails. The jaw 21 is projected a suitabledistance above the .rib' 10, and forced into the wedge slot 12 in thefish plate 2 and jaw 21' an element, suchas a cotter pin'26 is insertedthrough one of the openings .25.

Preferably, one of the of the co tter'pin is bent against oneofthe'sides of the arm 18, as disclosed in' F. ig.'6 otthe .cl aw gswhich will assist n hold ng the yoke aga nst movement. 1

The rails are su ported on the. usual ties, the ties, adjacent to theconfronting ends of the rails being positioned a suitable distancefromthe. joint. The fish plates. are applied 'to the opposite sides of therails. The yoke is then arranged beneath thejrails, first in the cantedpositionillustrated in Fig.

7 of the drawings, outward of the ribs B and 9. -The y'okeis then movediupwardly so that the surface 16 thereof is brought against the flatbase of the rails, andthe yoke is moved in :the direction of the .ribs

so that the inclined inner e'dges' offits arms '17 and 1 8 will be infrictional erjgagement with the outer beveled and incline" h ribs u i hea dvqke is dispqsedapproximately centrally with respect to the insertedbetween ,the wall of the groove l2 eds therib'sS and 9. The yoke ismoved along and the inner inclined wall of th e jaw 21,

and when wedged between these walls the cotterpin 26 .is insertedthrough one of; the

openings 25 in the wedge, and the rails are connected a comparativelysimple but thoroughly effective manner.

- Having described he inventionlclaimk lfIn combination with the confroliting ends" f Tails h ing bolt openingsfthrougih their webspof fishlates on of the. rails, lugs on t e fish plates passing throughv theopenings in thejrailga Wedge ribon the outer face o f'eaj h pea a ashaving jaw portlons one of which is fi ranged over the wedge b Of 9116 R94 wedge keyarranged over t'herib 'oif the 0nd plate and received.thefsecorid' the'yoke. I I I r .2. In combination with the conffgqgtigg105. meeting ends of .the rails. The jaw '20 is i now arranged overlthegflat upper surface l l'of the-,rib 9 .on thefishplate 3,,and thejaw 21 is'brought opposite thegrQO Ve'12in the fish plate.2.. The wedgekey 24:1 .5 new the outer face of each ends of rails having boltopenings through their webs, of fish plates on the sides of the rails,lugs on the fish plates passing through the openings in the rails, a.wedge rib on plate, a yoke having jaw portions one of which is arrangedover the wedge rib of one plate, a wedge key arranged over the rib ofthe second plate and received in the second jaw of the yoke, andremovable means sustaining the wedge key in such engagement.

3. In combination with the confronting ends of rails having boltopenings through their webs, of fish plates on the sides of the rails,lugs on the fish plates passing through the openings in the rails, awedge rib on the outer face of each plate, a yoke having its armsarranged at an inclination and beveled from one to the opposite edgethereof and having jaws at their outer ends, said yoke designed to bemoved over the plates to cause the inclined surfaces of their arms toengage with the wedge surfaces of the ribs and to arrange the base ofthe yoke beneath the confronting ends of the rails, one of said jawsoverlying and in contacting engagement with the upper surface of the ribof one of the plates, and a wedge key disposed over the rib of thesecond plate, in engagement with the jaw of the second arm of the plate,and means holding said wedge key in such engagement.

4. In combination with the confronting ends of rails having boltopenings through their webs, of fish plates on the sides of the rails,lugs on the fish plates passing through the openings in the rails, awedge rib on the outer face of each plate, one of said plates having awedge slot in the plane of the upper wall. of the rib thereon, a yokehaving inclined arms provided with angular confronting faces and jaws atthe outer ends thereof, designed to be forced over the rails and fishplates to bring the under face of the yoke in a line with theconfronting ends of the rails and in contact therewith, the arms of theyoke in engagement with the wedge faces of the ribs, one of the jaws incontacting engagement with the upper face of one of the ribs, and theopposite jaw above the rib on the opposite fish plate, and a wedge keyinserted in the wedge slot in the last mentioned fish plate and receivedin the jaw of the yoke adjacent thereto, and removable means holding thewedge key in such engagement.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

' JOSEPH KATCHER.

